Memorial Day travel surges amid delays, traffic. See the latest

Millions of Americans are hitting the road or taking flights to cap off Memorial Day weekend, but it may not be without delays, traffic or travel chaos.

An estimated 45 million Americans traveled at least 50 miles from home over the long weekend, according to a projection from AAA.

For those wrapping up a road trip, the heaviest traffic on Monday, May 25, is expected between noon and 5 p.m. local time, according to INRIX, a transportation data provider.

More people are flying this year than last Memorial Day, per AAA, which could mean longer lines and further waits at some airports.

Here's what to know if you're traveling on Memorial Day.

Check Memorial Day flight delays

As of 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, about 170 flights in the U.S. were canceled, and nearly 3,200 others were delayed, according to FlightAware.

Travelers should check with their airline about the status for a specific flight.

What is the Cancellations and Delay Dashboard?

The DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard is a publicly available online tool that shows what various U.S. airlines have committed to provide to passengers − such as rebooking services, meal vouchers or other complimentary accommodations − when a flight is canceled or delayed for reasons within the airline’s control.

The dashboard uses a simple green-check or red “X” format so travelers can compare, at a glance, which airlines guarantee services such as free rebooking, meal or hotel vouchers, ground transportation, or other accommodations in those situations.

The dashboard was launched Sept. 1, 2022, in response to a summer of widespread flight disruptions and passenger complaints.

What am I owed if an airline cancels my flight?

DOT rules require airlines to offer you a refund if flights are canceled for any reason, regardless of ticket type, if you choose to no longer fly.

If you choose to continue your trip, you are entitled to penalty-free rebooking on the same airline.

Additionally, if the cancellation was within the carrier's control:

• Some airlines (Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, United) can rebook you on a partner airline at no cost.
• Nearly all major airlines will offer a complimentary hotel stay and ground transportation to and from the hotel for overnight cancellations.
• All major airlines will offer a meal or credit toward a meal if you have to wait more than 3 hours for the next flight.

Additional details can be found on the DOT's dashboard. Airlines not listed on the dashboard post their customer service commitments on their respective websites.

Am I owed compensation if my flight is delayed?

The answer depends on the circumstances and airline.

If the delay is outside the airline's control, they don't owe you anything extra. If the delay is within airline control, but not considered a significant delay (typically at least three hours), then they still may not owe you anything.

The compensation kicks in for significant delays within the airline's control and generally mirrors offerings for controllable cancellations. But it's not cash compensation, which is not required by U.S. regulators. It generally takes the form of hotel, meal and transportation vouchers, or a refund if you choose not to fly.

One critical thing to remember is that even when you aren't owed anything, airline customer service representatives may have the power to provide meal vouchers, mileage credit, or other compensation for your trouble, on a case-by-case basis, so it pays to be courteous and doesn't hurt to ask.

This story was updated to add new information.

Contributing: Eve Chen, Zach Wicher; USA TODAY